PDF4.dev vs html2pdf.js

html2pdf.js does not render PDFs. It takes a screenshot. The library works in three steps: html2canvas captures the DOM as a canvas bitmap, converts it to a JPEG or PNG image, then jsPDF embeds that image into a PDF page. The result is a PDF that contains a single flat image per page, not actual document content.

This approach causes several fundamental problems:

• Text is not selectable: since the PDF contains images, users cannot copy text, search within the document, or use screen readers
• Output is blurry when zoomed: bitmap images pixelate at higher zoom levels, unlike vector text which stays sharp at any scale
• File sizes are large: embedding full-page images produces PDFs 5-10x larger than equivalent vector-based documents
• Page breaks cut content randomly: html2pdf.js splits a single tall canvas into page-sized chunks, often cutting through lines of text, table rows, or images
• Accessibility is zero: no document structure, no headings, no reading order, no alt text: the PDF is opaque to assistive technology
• CSS rendering is incomplete: html2canvas does not support all CSS properties. Shadows, transforms, gradients, and some flexbox layouts may render incorrectly or not at all

PDF4.dev uses Chromium's native page.pdf() API, which produces real PDF content: vector text, embedded fonts, proper page breaks via CSS paged media, and full CSS support including flexbox, grid, and modern properties.

To be fair, html2pdf.js has valid use cases where its limitations are acceptable:

• Quick prototypes where PDF quality does not matter
• Internal tools where nobody needs to select or search text
• Simple single-page documents without complex layouts
• Situations where you absolutely cannot make server calls and need everything to run in the browser

But if you need professional-quality PDFs for invoices, contracts, reports, or any document that will be shared with customers or partners, screenshot-based rendering is not sufficient. Production documents need real vector text, clean page breaks, and accessible content.